Keep Smiling
by AppleCherry108
Summary: Joshua's fatal illness leads Rosette to reflect upon her life since Aion's abduction of her little brother.


Disclaimer: I really wish I did... but I don't (own Chrono Crusade that is).

Keep Smiling

Why? Why was he so frail? Why was he always sick? Why was it that when he got cut, it took so long to stop bleeding? Why did it always seem like a miracle when he could come out and play? So many questions danced around her head as Rosette Christopher tried to take in the sudden news.

"Hemo… Wha?" asked Rosette dumbly as she stared at Father Remington. Her blood ran cold, her fingers going numb.

"Hemophilia." stated Remington again. "It's a disorder of one's blood system, where one's blood cannot clot, meaning they'll keep bleeding of anything, even something as small as a bruise, until they die." Father Remington looked up at the terrified girl in front of him. She's been through so many hardships in her life; too many. And now with this… I'm not sure how much more she can take. "Rosette…" he whispered, trying to comfort her, to take her thoughts away from the devastating news.

"And…" the young girl asked, her entire form trembling as crystalline tears slowly crept down her cheeks. She sniffled. "And you're saying that Joshua has this?" The reverend nodded solemnly. Rosette felt a sudden wave of heat flow from her head to her toes, leaving nothing but cold, sad loneliness in its wake.

As reality slammed in on her, Rosette felt one foot step in front of the other as she unconscientiously started to run. Run past Father Remington, who simply stepped out of the way, only to stare sadly after her. Passed Mary, Anna, and Claire, whom she knocked into without a word as she kept running passed them; giving not even a second thought to them as they called for her. Passed doors and halls, sisters and fathers, passed every obstacle in her way. Even passed Chrono, though time seemed slower in the two seconds that it took her to spot her partner, push his out stretched arm from her path, and keep running past, not wanting to hear his urgent calls of concern. Her strides became uneven as she bolted across the courtyard, tear falling faster and harder. It seemed to her that all she had ever done was run. Run away from all of her problems, away from her friends, her dreams, her feelings, her destiny. Why? Why does the world punish me? Why does it want to take him away from me so badly?

She halted, right in front of the large, white double-doors that had the words 'infirmary' spelled out on a shiny brass plate. Rosette reached out a shaking hand to grasp the cold doorknob. She swallowed hard, knowing the pain and torment that awaited her beyond this white barrier. It seemed that that was the only thing that ever awaited her when she finished running down the long roads of life; pain and suffering. All because she loved her little brother, she clung to him so badly after their parents died. She clung to him when they were little. She clung to him when the large stone doors of Magdalene's tomb creped open. Clung to him in the darkness and in the rain, or any other time she was scared. But then he was taken away, leaving her all alone and in the dark. The red glow of demons was all that stood by her, whether they were friend or foe. Malicious eyes or sad eyes, all they brought her were fear. Fear that they would destroy the world she knew, fear that they would forever keep her brother from her, fear that they would take her life, her time…

Rosette shook her head harshly as she carefully twisted the knob and pushed the door open. The smell of bleach and medicine greeted her as she walked in. All the beds where empty, all but one. Rosette strode pass several crisply cleaned and tidied beds before arriving at her brother's side. She sat in the chair adjacent to his nightstand, admiring how serene Joshua could look in such a condition. Beside him, an EEG that had been brought in, quietly scratched away, back and forth on the long, scrolling paper; keeping track of his heart rate.

A chill ran down Rosette's spine when she noticed he wasn't moving in the slightest. "Joshua?" she whispered, voice trembling as she reached out and lightly touched his shoulder. His eyes drifted open and Rosette sighed with relief. He turned his head slightly to look at her, reveling the bloody patches that had soaked through his bandages already; he smiled.

"Oh, it's you big sister…" he whispered. His eyes narrowed when he spoke, trying to hide the pain it caused him.

Rosette tried to keep her voice steady as she spoke, holding back more tears that threatened to fall. "Shh…" she coed, removing the folded washcloth from his head; dipping it in the bowl of ice water on the nightstand; ringing it until it retained just enough water to keep her brother cool. "You need to save your strength if you want to get better soon." She tried to smile but was sure that by the expression her brother gave her, her smile was nothing more than a pleading stare.

Joshua touched her retreating hand; Rosette shivered, his hands were already cold; void of any warmth. "I'm not going to get better, am I?" he asked. He smiled lightly as his sister's tears finally spilled from her eyes, cascading down her cheeks as she choked out false words.

"Of course you will," she said between sobs. "You've always before because I was there to protect you, to make you better. And I'm here for you now; I'll always be, forever…"

Joshua laughed slightly and held her hand that he had stopped. "Forever… Is a long time to wait for me to get better." He smiled at her. You can't keep waiting for me Rosette. You have your own life to live. I won't keep holding you back.

Chrono watched the two siblings silently from the doorway; not daring to step inside, to ruin the secret haven that they had created for themselves. He gave a start when he felt a large hand settle on his petite shoulder; Father Remington.

"You know what's happening, don't you?" he asked. Chrono nodded, looking back at his contractor, seeing only the two children he had met four years ago at seventh bell. Remembering the sweet sun kissed afternoons they had shared, and how it had ended all too soon.

"I don't understand," he said, letting the fond memories he'd forever treasure seep back into his heart, tucked away soundly for another day. "Why is this all happening to him now?" he tilted his head backwards to look the Father in the face.

Remington stared down at the child before him, marveling in the fact that a powerful devil like him could show so much concern for such small and fragile beings. "We suspect," he began, almost forgetting who he was speaking to. "That when you took back your horns from him, their healing affects where also taken away. He's probably feeling withdrawal symptoms as well. It was most likely the horns that had kept him alive all these years."

Chrono's blood ran cold, eyes dilated. He could feel cold sweat slide down his forehead. His horns were what took Joshua away from his sister in the first place. It was his horns that he stole back, causing Joshua to suffer. He was the cause of all their troubles and worries. His horns, his greed, his 'ultimate' power that let Joshua bleed. I'm killing two innocent children by simply existing. If they had never found me, they would be much happier off than now. Rosette would still have her full life, and Joshua could have been safer. Chrono's hearts felt heavy at his musings. Rosette would never allow him to blame himself for anything that's happened, but he couldn't help it.

He looked away from Remington and back into the room, back to where his two dieing angels, his only light through his own darkness stood; comforting one another, keeping the other safe in their care; always looking out for each other; until the very end.

Joshua's cheeks were flushed, it was becoming continually harder for him to breathe, but he would never tell Rosette that. "Don't worry big sister," he whispered; voice becoming raspier with every passing minute. "You'll be fine, even when I'm not around anymore."

"Don't talk like that!" she squeaked, still choking on tears that refused to stop. "You should worry about yourself, not me! And don't think for one second that I'd let you go without a fight!" her voice was becoming angrier at the thought of losing the last of her family.

Still Joshua smiled. "But isn't this your last stand?"

She couldn't take this any longer. Rosette pulled her hand away from his, only to wrap both her arms around him squeezing him in a tight embrace, burying her face in the nape of his neck; crying her heart out. Joshua lightly wrapped his arms around her sitting up slightly. "Stop it! Just stop it! Why aren't you ever worried about yourself? Don't you care that you're going to die?" she wailed into his hospital gown.

He held her closer, his smile never leaving his face as his own silent tears fell. "I could ask you the same question." She squeezed harder at these words. Joshua rested his chin on his sister's shoulder, thinking of some way to comfort her. Again, he smiled; an idea coming to him—birthed from ambitions from long ago. "At least… You don't have to become a doctor anymore." Rosette looked up at him.

"That's not funny." She said, dead serious. Unintentionally, she made a face that made Joshua laugh out loud. "What?" she demanded hotly as her little brother continued to laugh at her.

"It wasn't funny, you're right. But to see your face…" he gasped between laughs. Rosette puffed out her cheeks, removing her arms from her brother. He flopped back into his pillow, pointing and laughing uncontrollably.

Rosette pinched his cheeks and pulled playfully on them; a sly grin of her own spreading across her face. "THIS-ISN'T-THE-TIME-TO-BE-LAUGHING!" she screamed jokingly, rocking back and forth as she found that she had begun laughing as well.

Outside, Chrono smiled in on the two teenagers that would never grow up. He found that their bubbly moods were infectious. Remington had long since left, not wanting to see such a solemn moment. But the joyous moment was short lived; as Chrono heard Joshua's laughs dissolve into a coughing fit.

"Joshua!" Rosette exclaimed, her heart in her throat. Worry swept over her as Joshua coughed even harder.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." He said hoarsely as he smiled weakly. Rosette pulled the white comforter over her brother snuggly. Nagging at him how he shouldn't act so carelessly in his condition, just like she had when they were little. They sat silently for a moment, each with their mind full of old memories. The only sound in the room was the pocket watch; ticking away lost seconds that would never return. Joshua gazed at his sister, recalling images of her from Seventh Bell--how she always smiled, never letting the shadows of life engulf her.

His thoughts drifted to the days after they had found Chrono, and brought him back to the light of the world. How every day afterward, Rosette's smile was always wider, her mood always brighter, there was never a moment that one couldn't help but think 'that has to be the happiest girl in the world.'

Joshua sighed, looking up at Rosette, at how beautiful she had become, and how her beauty and kindness was wasted on him. She would always act like he was the only thing that mattered to him, the only person she could give to. But he could tell that she was in love. And he wasn't going to let her sit around, wasting her already shortened time, waiting for him.

He sighed once more. "Rosette…" he whispered. She turned sparkling ocean blue eyes to him. He could see that no matter how much she loved him, even if she didn't know it, her eyes were always on her lover; who stood just out of reach by the door. Joshua held her hands, she winced at their frigidness. "Sister… I want you to be happy. Even when I'm gone." He whispered. Rosette looked at him with large puppy dog eyes, not wanting him to say anymore. "Please don't be sad, I'm only holding you back."

Rosette squeezed his hands; tears falling freely, dripping onto her brother's comforter. "Please don't…" she begged.

"I have to go now." He whispered. Rosette's tears turned to gasping sobs.

She shook her head. "You can't," she said, almost like an order. "I won't let you!"

Joshua sighed and closed his eyes, lifting a hand to grasp the pocket watch. "Live, Rosette… You can't keep waiting for me." She shook her head again taking his lifted hand into her own. She tried to find words to argue but none ever came. "I see them… Mom and Dad… They're waving." Rosette only stared at him; she could hear her heart beating in her ears. She knew there was no stopping him...

Joshua felt something hard grip his heart; he cried quietly. "I'm scared sister. I… I don't want to leave yet." He opened his blurry eyes to gaze up at Rosette who held his hands firmly in her own. She lulled to him, still telling him not to worry. "I love you, big sister."

"I love you too, Joshua."

"Please," he began, eyes drifting back shut. "Please keep smiling…" He breathed out as his hands went limp in his sister's. Rosette's tears poured uncontrollably as the EEG flat lined beside her still brother. She folded his hand across his chest and rested her own on top of them.

Trying her hardest to stop crying, to continue living, her lips tweaked upward in a futile effort to smile. But when she saw her brother's peaceful face, the ringing that had begun in her ears ceased, and she smiled. She smiled, pushing hair out of her brother's face. And she could have sworn that he smiled back.


End file.
